Packaged insect repellent



July 28, 1959 F. J. CURRAN PACKAGED INsEcT REPELLENT vFiled Jan. 1o, 1958 United States VPatent This invention relates to a packaged insect repellent wherein a block-shaped body in the form of a Sharpe cornered prism is encased in a skin of tearable, airimpervious material that is wrapped thereabout to seal the same, with the encased block being packaged in an inexpensive, disposable hollow box of semi-rigid material (such as paperboard), with the box having exposure openings in the vside faces thereof through which the corners of the body project for selective removal of portions of the encasing skin.

One of the principal objects of the invention is t provide a functional packaging arrangement for insectrepellent blocks wherein the package protects the item during handling, shipping, display, and actual use thereof and provides for convenient selective exposure of the block surface to permit the rate of vaporization thereof to be adapted to the particular conditions of use.

Another object is to provide a box having -a distinctive display tab integral therewith which also 'serves as a convenient hanger for suspending the block, if conditions require.

' Another'object is to provide such an arrangement wherein the packaging box is of inexpensive construction, permitting disposal thereof after the block lis consumed.

Still another object is to provide a packaging arrangement wherein the block is slightly smaller than the box and the box includes one or more closure aps hingedly carried integrally thereon for accommodating insertion and rotation of the block to expose the corner portions thereof. f

A further object is to provide such an arrangement wherein the block is in the form of a plurality of stacked disks that are individually removable for separate use.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent during thecourse of` the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same;

FigQl. is a perspective viewof Vthe insect-repellent package of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side-sectional view in enlarged scale and taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a sectional view through the block and box, as taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, illustrating selected surfaces of the block exposed for contact with the atmosphere.

Referring now to the drawings, for purposes of dis' closure, the block of vaporizable insecticide, which may be of material such as paradichlorobenzene, is shown in the form of a right quadrilateral prism wrapped in an air-tight skin 11 of tearable, air-impervious, transparent paper-like material such as Pliolm. As will be apparent from an inspection of Fig. 1, the skin is wrapped flat across the upper and lower end faces of the block with -the projecting ends of the skin, as shown at 11E, folded flat across opposite side faces of the block in a familiar manner.

1' 2 According to the invention, the block is housed in a hol low, thin-walled packaging box 12 that forms a chamber having the shape of a right quadrilateral prism, with.,v this chamber corresponding `generally to the shape of the block 10 but, as shown, being slightly larger to'` accommodate insertion and rotation .of the block in a preformed box. Thebox includes opposing integral closure ilaps 121C terminating in hinged anchoring ears 12A with the closure flaps forming hinged extensions at opposite lateral edges of the lower end wall 12'L of lthe box and cooperating with the usual pairs of internal' aps 12P which are integral hinged extensions of the opposite lateral edges of the front and rear walls 12F and 12R, respectively. An integral upst'andin-g combination display tab and suspension hanger 12T projects from the upper rear edge of the box. The display tab 12T provides an enlarged, distinctively shaped surface for descriptive lsales material and may be provided with a' suitable opening 14 for suspending the box from. any convenient hook or other similar supporting member.

As is apparent from Fig. 2, Lthe `box is formed'by suitably folding over an elongated strip to bring together, in overlying engagement, the opposite end portions thereof and provide a double-walled tab 12T with the successive intermediate wall sections of the strip (designated, respectively, :as the upper end wall 12U, the front wall 12F, Ithe lower end wall 12L and the rear side wall 12R) forming the walls of the box. l

The sides ofthe box comprising the closure llaps 12C and wall sections 12F and 12R are each provided with a vertically extending exposure opening 13 which extends substantially the entire height of these side walls for receiving the corner portions of the block.

The block 10 is inserted in Ithe box `through one of the openings formed by folding out the closure flaps 12C. During insertion, the sides of the block are positioned to extend parallel to the corresponding sides of the box, and after the block enters the box it is then rotated ape proximately forty-five degrees relative to the box, in the case of the illustrated arrangement, to bring the corner portions of theV block into registry with the openings 13 in the side walls of the box. The slightly larger size of `the box provides the necessary clearance to accommodate this rotation while simultaneously permitting the corners of the block to project through the openings 13 sullciently to permit'ready removal of portions of the encasing skin 11 for selectively exposing the corner surfaces of the block.

This packaging arrangement adequately protects the block during handling, shipping, display, and actual use but, more importantly, it facilitates selective exposure of the surface of the block for controlling its rate of vaporization. In certain instances,'the block will be applied in relatively small enclosures, in which case it is wasteful and actually unsuitable to expose'the entire surface area of the block. In other instances, it may be necessary to actually expose the entire block, in which case the whole skin may be removed.

Preferably circular openings 15 are provided in the end faces 12U and 1'2L of the box to provide additional exposure surface areas for selective exposure. In this connection the block may include a central passage 10P in registry with the openings 15, and the entire inside surface area bounding the passages 10P is exposed by piercing the upper face of the skin 11. lf both the upper and lower faces of the skin are pierced, circulation through the passage 10P is improved and a greater rate of vapon'zation achieved.

In the illustrated arrangement, the block 10 is shown in the form of an aligned stack of disks 10D having registering central openings therethrough to form the passage 10P. This stacked disk arrangement accommodates the removal Patented July 28, 19.59

j 3 of one of the disks from'itsl packaged location for separate use. yIn such instances, the central openings in the disk form convenient mounting facilities for telescoping the diskover ahook or other suitable support. v

In one constructional' embodiment of the invention, the end faces of the box and block, respectively, are ,2 1/2l square and 23/16" square while the side faces, respectively, are 2 high and 11?/16 high. Inthis particular arrangement, the openings 13 are 5/8" wide and l7ihigh.

It should be understoodrthat the description ofthe preferredform of the invention is for ythe purpose of complying with Section `112, Title 35 of the U.S. Code and that the claims should be construed as broadly as prior art will permit.

In the specification and claims, when using the terms block and ,disk inA referring to the elements andv 16D, respectively, such terms are to be understood to encompass sharp-cornered shapes other than square or rectangular cross-sectional shapes. For example, these elementsl may be polygonal in cross section or may be circular or oval and provided with sharp projections at spaced points about their periphery.

I claim: l

l. A packaged insect repellent comprising avblock of vaporizable material including an encasing skin of tearable air-impervious material wrapped thereabout and sealing the same and a disposable packaging box of semirigid material like paperboard formed` with a plurality ofv window-like openings at spaced points thereabout, said box defining a chamber for housing said block with portions of said block projecting through said openings for selective exposure to the atmosphere upon removal of the portions of said skin overlying the same.

2. A packaged insect repellent comprising a blockshaped body of vaporizable material having sharp corners and including an encasing skin of tearable air-impervious material wrapped thereabout and sealing the same and a disposable packaging box of semi-rigid material like paperboard formed with a plurality of window-like openings at spaced points thereabout, said box defining a chamber for housing said body with the corners thereof projecting through said openings for selective exposure to the atmosphere upon removal of the portions of said skin overlying the same.

3. A packaged insect repellent comprising a hollow packaging box of semi-rigid material dening a chamber in the form of a right prism,` said box having openings centrally of and extending substantially the entire height of the side faces thereof, and a block of vaporizable material having a size and shape substantially corresponding to that of said chamber disposed in said box in angularly offset relation thereto to project through said openings, said block having an encasing skin of tearable airimpervious material wrapped thereabout and sealing the same.

4. A packaged insert repellent comprising a blockshaped body of vaporizable material in the forml of a righ-t quadrilateral prism and including an encasing skin 4 of tearable air-impervious material wrapped thereabout and sealingV the same, said body having a central passage opening through the end faces thereof, and a hollow packaging box of semi-rigid material defining a chamber in the form of a right quadrilateral prism corresponding to and slightly larger than said body, said box having openings centrally of and extending substantially the entire Y height of the side faces thereof and having aligned openings in the end faces thereof, said box housing said body, with the corresponding side faces thereof defining dihedral angles on the .order of 45 so that portions of said body project through thev openings in. the side faces of the box and so that the openings in the end faces of the box are in registry with the ends of the body passage.

5. T he arrangement of claim 4 wherein said box includes an integral upstanding support-and-display tab having an internal opening therethrough for receiving a suitable support. f

v 6. A packaged insect repellent comprising a hollow packaging box of semi-rigid material defining a chamber` in the form of a right quadrilateral prism, said box having openings centrally of and extending substantially the entire height of the side faces thereof, with one set of the opposing side faces thereof being provided by integral flaps hingedly connected along opposite edges of one of the end faces of the box, and a block of vaporizable material in fthe form of a right quadrilateral prism corre,- sponding in shape but slightly smaller in size than said chamber disposed in said box in angularly offset relation thereto such that corresponding side faces of the block and box define dihedral angles on the order of 45 degrees so that portions of said block project through the openings in the side faces of the box, said block having, an encasing skin of tearableair-impervious material wrapped*v thereabout and sealing the same.

7L A packaged insect repellentcomprising a blockshaped body of vaporizable material having sharpcorners` and including an encasing skin of tearable air-impervious. material wrapped thereabout and sealing the same and' providing manually engageable external folds at the. corner regions thereof, andv a disposable packaging box` of semi-rigid material like paperboard formed with a, plurality of window-like openings at spaced points thereabout, said box defining a chamber housing said body with the corners thereof projecting through said openings to allow manual engagement of the external folds for selec;

tively exposing said corners to the atmosphere .by removing the portions of said skin overlying the same.

ReferencesiCited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Daugherty May 19, 1931 

